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Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem | 
 enlarge | From: Nintendo
Category: Video Games
List Price: £39.99
Buy Used: £7.53
You Save: £32.46 (81%)
New (2) Used (20) from £7.53
Avg. Customer Rating:  37 reviews
Sales Rank: 4343
Platform: Gamecube
ESRB: Mature
Media: Video Game
Number Of Items: 1
Batteries Included: No
Age: 15 - 18 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.4 x 0.6
UPC: 045496870744
EAN: 0045496870744
ASIN: B00005Q8M4
Release Date: November 1, 2002
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Brand New American GameCube game.
Amazon.co.uk Review
It's often argued that they make the best video games in the world, but one thing Nintendo aren't renowned for is scary games. If you thought Luigi's Mansion was frightening then quite frankly you've led a sheltered life, because Eternal Darkness is the real deal: it's scary, it's gory and it's really not anything like Resident Evil at all. As the game starts you awake from a rather cool dream sequence to discover that your grandfather's had his clogs popped by some unspeakable monster of the night. While rummaging through his stuff (alone, at night, in his huge mansion, natch) you come across a jolly little hardback called the Tome of Eternal Darkness, and upon reading it you suddenly find yourself controlling a Roman centurion in Persia circa 26 BC. And this is how the game continues, with you finding and reading a passage of the book in the mansion and then controlling a series of 11 completely different characters over the course of two millennia. Apart from the innovative structure of the game, Eternal Darkness' other big selling point is the sanity effects--every time you see a monster and fail to kill it your sanity will drop. If it drops too far you start seeing things: flies walking along the inside of your telly, messages telling you your controller is unplugged when it clearly isn't and all sorts of other clever freakery. The game's not perfect, though; the combat is a little too fiddly and it's still not quite as scary as Silent Hill, but Eternal Darkness is an unusual and rewarding title that should finally shut up those annoying twerps that insist Nintendo only do games for kids.--David Jenkins
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| Customer Reviews: Read 32 more reviews...
 Be prepared for a different concept in gaming... July 4, 2008
I'm surprised that more people havent rated this game? it was very popular at the time and seems to be hard to come by second hand now that people know they can play Gamecube games on the Wii.
Ok so where do we start...ive bought this game (again) after getting my Wii as sometimes you just want a bit of retro gaming! saying that this game holds up quite well on the graphics side of things. The game is an adventure with typical puzzles e.g. setting the time on a clock. The different concept is the 'Santity meter'. As your santity drops (as you see strange things and monsters and such like) the game play changes. As the characters santity drops the character starts to see things like statues moving to watch you around the room and as it drops even further stranger things happen to you as the player! i dont want to ruin it but i had some instances of error messages coming up saying my memory card was corrupt! just as i was panicking i realised it was the game giving me a fake error message!. Very strange! but added a new dimension to the game.
The game follows a story through which you play several different charectors so there is always something going on and lots of places to explore.
If you like adventure type games give this one a go - if you dare play at night with the lights off! creepy!
Definitely one of the best survival horror titles and will be talked about for years to come. October 28, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
One of the first handfuls of games to be released on the GameCube, Eternal Darkness (ED) promised an epic storyline and gory gameplay, and so kept many players eager to get their hands on this next-gen title. Its theme of horror and the supernatural made ED take a firmly mature stance as a game in contrast to "family-friendly" Nintendo titles. Originally conceived as an N64 title but cancelled, it was exclusively re-developed for the GameCube by Silicon Knights, the makers of the Playstation hit RPG Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. Fortunately, ED lives up to many of its expectations; however, there are a few minor issues with the game. But these don't prevent it from being an outstanding GameCube title and an innovative horror classic.
The premise of ED is of an epic pschological-horror-adventure and one that is, for the most part, in the mould of survival horror titles such as Resident Evil and Alone in the Dark 4 (AITD). The principle character in the game is Alexandra Rovias, a student who becomes rapidly drawn into a supernatural mystery following the gruesome mutilated murder of her Grandfather, Edward Rovias. Without spoiling the plot too much, she delves into the chapters of a book called the Tome of Eternal Darkness. Upon reading the chapters, she learns of how other people throughout history have encountered the Tome and the ancients who persistently seek to destroy humankind. The great part of the game is that you get to play a diverse range of characters as you progress through the chapters. But I'll come to the gameplay later. The storyline, though, is one of the most successful aspects of ED. The plot is absorbing and its mature horror theme is very welcome considering the target audience of other GameCube games. The supernatural theme of the story is drawn from horror writers such as H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe, and there's plenty to show for it. With well thoughtout characters, detailed backgrounds and historically authentic scenarios, ED's concept triumphs as a hybrid in the survival/ horror/ adventure department.
The narrative is well executed through ED's visceral gameplay. Warning: this is not a game for the faint-hearted! You play in third-person perspective through many spine-chilling environments. You'll encounter a number of grizzly foes from the dead, mostly the ever-familiar zombies. The combat system in the game works great. Chopping up zombies' limbs has never been as fun whilst a quick shot to the head with a rifle will dispatch them easily. The adventure element is over-simplified, puzzle solving is simplistic but a more unique aspect of the game is the spell system. You can collect runes & codices to create and decipher spells that can be used for a myriad of vital functions. Some create a personal shield, others reveal hidden doors, some create magical attacks and others can even let you possess and control enemy creatures. Effective use of spells is the key to mastering this game. But many puzzles dissolve in actions no more complicated than pushing levers or placing objects in position to open secret doors. This I found to be a disappointing aspect of ED, more original puzzles would have set this game truly apart from other survival horror titles. Given the intellectual framework of the game, puzzle design should have lived up to it and also one that is enhanced with the RPG-esque spell casting elements. Also brilliant is the sanity meter. Keep you're sanity level high by quickly dispatching monsters. Otherwise you'll hallucinate and see yourself mutilated, shrunk, standing on the ceiling and even have your T.V switched off! Very original and tremendous fun!
The graphics of ED are perhaps its second strongest facet for its time, with meticulously detailed environments and lush texturing. The GameCube is pushed to the limit at many points with gorgeous lens flare and coloured lighting effects. But certain character textures are well done and others of lesser quality. The weapons and item details are good, so are the environmental details of the game's locations. These range from a grandiose and creepy Rovias mansion to underground tombs, cathedrals, also a jungle-infested temple complex in Cambodia. ED is a globetrotting adventure that subtly alters the games locations as they are revisited by characters from ancient times to the modern world. I do have one moderate gripe, though. The game could have had more varied locations rather than just levels that are a collection of tunnels, corridors and `box rooms'. Some outdoor locations would have added greatly to the expansive approach of ED. The main location is the Rovias mansion; packed to the brim with `haunted house' style secrets. Despite minor inconsistencies in the graphics and visual presentation, ED does a very good job in the `looks' department.
A key factor in survival-horror games is audio. Mess up on the sound and your horror game is nothing more than a tacky ghost ride. Thankfully, the aural experience of ED is punchy and stark, greatly reinforcing the gameplay. There is a rich variety of music, ranging from tracks that draw from chants of Franciscan Monks to a Middle-Eastern/ Arabian theme. Music is atmospheric and brooding but not highly original. It very much serves as `background' rather being used in a dynamic sense during gameplay. But some tunes are again, rushed through in creation. Sound effects are, for the most part, strong. Monster effects and weapons' sounds are audibly graphic and tangible. Little details of fire crackling and footsteps are very immersive. However, some effects have been blatantly attached from stock libraries, but this a minor criticism of an experienced gamer that has spent far too much time in game worlds! This only slightly diminishes the authenticity of the rest of the audio presentation in the game.
So far, ED has more or less delivered on areas of graphics, audio and gameplay to quite a high standard but there are other notable areas of the game that don't feel as well produced. Firstly, there is the clunky inventory. This is perhaps the most deplorable aspect of ED. It is reminiscent of Resident Evil and AITD and all those annoying `Mix' `Equip' and `Combine' options that you had to choose just to fire a gun! It has simply been tacked on with very little thought, straight from yesteryear Playstation games. It is outdated, outmoded and does the opposite of creating a smooth gaming experience. Nowhere is this felt more than in the cantankerous spell system! The inventory and menu system could have been refined a lot more and many screens could have been rid of altogether. Secondly, despite the evolutionary advance in console technology, games as a form of interactive art have not progressed beyond the `B'-movie scripting and voice acting. The dialogue is at some parts strong but in others mediocre. The voice acting varies in quality, and the dramatic tone is non-existent in the roughly edited cut scenes, occasionally reducing the game to a 2nd class horror experience.
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem seems to be one of the most ambitious game projects ever. The scope and breadth at which it tells a supernatural tale is broader than many other games. But there are many inconsistencies throughout ED. Several areas of the game truly shine but others simply seem `hashed together', like the weak level design. Also, a few additions such as a first-person view and a moveable camera would have helped in giving more player control. The re-play value is supposed to be high. You need to play the game through three times in effect to destroy all three gods but I merely saw this as subjecting gamers to repeat déjà vu experiences. The difficulty is set on the easy/ intermediate side, and is not too draining on the reflexes or the cranium. ED is unique in many welcome ways but falls short due to graphical and audio cutbacks, a lamentable inventory system and mixed dialogue & voice acting. Overall, I enjoyed the game to a large extent and it is definitely a must try and a possible must own, for many open-minded GameCube gamers.
Quick Reviews! October 2, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
One of the most impressive early games on the Gamecube, successful because it offered a genuinely scary alternative to Resident Evil, but has sadly been overlooked. Graphically the game is not so impressive, as it was originally intended for the N64 and has in places just been adapted to suit the Gamecube. If you are a fan of horror games, Silent Hill perhaps more than Res Evil, then you should try this out as it has a brilliant atmosphere throughout, and is unique in a few ways. Blending survival horror with RPG and action, Eternal Darkness is a very big game with a great plot and style.
Alex hears that her Grandfather has died, and visits his huge mansion. There are still a few servants about, many mumblings odd things about death, monsters and insanity. Alex soon finds a book which recounts the past events of her family and its involvement with an interstellar and apocalyptic evil. We are sucked back and forward through time as the story unfolds, playing as different characters, each with individual powers. By the end Alex must face the evil herself.
The insanity meter is the main piece of ingenuity here: when you encounter a bad guy, your insanity level drops. This leads to strange things happening in the game such as flies appearing on the screen, and limbs falling off to name two out of many. To mention more would spoil it. Rather than being distracting, it works brilliantly, adding greatly to the atmosphere. Some of the average bad guys are not great, but the ones which appear out of your servants are pure evil, and will leave you cursing at the screen. The boss fights are good, although the final seems a little underwhelming. But the tension never lets up, and even small things like loud knocks and floating books will get jumps out of you. The voice acting is the best i have heard, the music is extremely good, and the use of weapons and magic is well-executed. This is not an easy game, and not one for kids. Anyone who sees games as childish should play this alone at night- it will change their minds. The WWI, church level is one of the best 'levels' or parts of a game i have ever played. For real shocks at, now, a cheap price, this is ideal.
 Insanity is fantastic!! June 21, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is one of, if not, the best horror RPG game out there.
It has everything a player wants.... smooth controls, awesome graphics, creepy music, puzzle solving and a very interesting storyline to boot.
Eternal Darkness is definetley up there in the ratings with Resident Evil 4, despite the difference in age (2002 for ED and 2006 for RE 4) it still has what it takes to be equally as good in it's own right as RE4.
(In my opinion Eternal darkness is way better than the first 3 RE's and all of the Silent Hill series).
If you enjoyed The Resident Evil series, Silent Hill series etc , you'll love this!
It totally messes with your head in a fantastically insane way!!
Addicted to going mad!! December 20, 2006
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
The title of this post says it all really, once you start to play the game it quickly becomes addictive even when your sanity is slowly being removed. This is what me and my friend found when 'borrowing' someone's Gamecube we couldn't put the game to rest until some ridiculous time in the morning.
When I first started playing it seemed so reminiscent to the old PC game Phantasmagoria, the ideas on where things were kept and where secret passages were came across as being very similar.
The concept behind the game is good for me because you have no major time limits when puzzling out the next stage of the game. The only problems that arise are the fustrating times when you are low on everything and don't have the option to save, which more often or not meant you died and had to go through it all again. The other slight snag we found was that the further you progress in the game the longer it took us to figure out what and where to go next - cue frantic searches on internet for help.
Other than that the game pulls you into it so well with all the tricks to make you think you are going insane as well that you find you are constantly trying to figure the next stage out.
I would recommend this game for anyone who likes a puzzling challenge and doesn't mind having their world turned literally upside down.
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